Ford’s Quality Issues Hit The Smallest Components
Not a week will go by without one of the world’s major automakers suffering a recall of some sort – that’s just the nature of mass production – but Ford may be, once again, having a harder time than most. The Blue Oval has just announced a new recall for the compact Maverick pickup, affecting 63,898 vehicles. The root of the problem lies in retaining clips for the airbag indicator light, which “may be loose or dislodged,” according to the NHTSA recall documents. Fortunately (or unfortunately, if you’re affected), the recall only extends to 2025 Maverick trucks; if earlier models were also affected, we’d be talking about a six-figure recall.
Ford
The Remedy Is Simple, But Ford’s Recalls Are Still Regular
Ford will notify owners via mail by Monday, June 9, 2025. However, that’s only to let them know about the recall. A second letter will be mailed once the remedy is available, which means Ford is still working on a fix, or at least, it doesn’t have the new retaining clips in dealer inventory yet. Regardless, the fix won’t cost owners anything. It should be noted that this recall shows no signs of arresting or otherwise affecting the actual airbag system, so the truck should still be safe to drive. Recall number 25C17 refers, if you want to know more. While this is certainly a minor issue, it’s one of many that has affected Ford of late. Nearly 1.1 million vehicles were affected by a rearview camera issue this week, and 1.3 million F-150s with potentially faulty transmissions were recalled a little more than two months ago, with several others in between. But from a certain perspective, these big numbers are a good thing.
Ford
Compared To The Competition, Ford Is Still Selling Big
Let’s look at other recent recalls for a bit of context. Stellantis recently recalled nearly 49,000 Alfa Romeo Tonales and Dodge Hornets over a backup camera issue. That’s 49,000 units across two brands, with the former starting around $38,000 and the latter around $30,000. The Maverick is even cheaper at $28,145 before destination and handling, and that’s remarkable. This isn’t a jointly developed crossover; it’s an all-Ford pickup, yet it’s cheaper, and a small, understandable oversight in quality control for its latest 2025 model still affected roughly 15,000 more vehicles than the abovementioned Stellantis recall, despite that issue concerning 2023-2025 Tonales and Hornets. Basically, what we’re saying is, Ford’s big recall numbers are just proof that it still sells a ton of vehicles that Americans love in numerous segments, so from that point of view, the recalls that the manufacturing industry will always face are something of a badge of honor for Ford. In fact, Ford sales surged 16% last month as buyers try to avoid potential future price hikes from tariffs, so America still loves the Blue Oval, despite the occasional lapse in quality.
